The so-called "Dan So-ok Assassination Incident" sent significant ripples through the martial world.
The Hunan region was a place where the forces of the demonic and orthodox sects clashed, their masters vying for dominance. To think that the young lady of Majeon was targeted by an assassin in such a place? This caused a tremendous stir in the martial world.
"Capture them!" Majeon’s Sect Leader was enraged.
He not only ordered a thorough investigation to root out those responsible but also commanded the annihilation of every sect based in Yueyang.
"The culprit was the Black Dragon Sect Leader!"
It was said that the Black Dragon Clan Lord, whose arm had been severed by Majeon’s Sect Leader in the past, harbored a grudge and unleashed the assassins of the Blood Slaughter Sect.
Of course, Majeon’s Sect Leader didn’t believe it. No matter how much gold was offered, the Blood Slaughter Sect would never accept a contract that would make an enemy of the entire Demon Sect.
But when clear evidence surfaced, Majeon’s Sect Leader issued a brief order:
"Exterminate." In the martial world, the Black Dragon Clan and the Blood Slaughter Sect vanished. Even mentioning their names was forbidden.
The very existence of the two factions was erased entirely.
***
Bu Eunseol continued to carry out the missions of the Nine Deaths Squad as he always had. He always chose the most dangerous and difficult tasks, risking his life, and completed them without a single failure.
In the crucible of real combat, he constantly refined his insights, integrating them into his swordsmanship. Before long, he had mastered the Heavenly Tyrant Sword Momentum, the Dual Mind, Dual Use Technique, and even the Heavy Sword Technique with proficiency.
And so, another six months passed.
At the time when the sunset’s glow was slowly fading, at the Haehyeon Old Bookstore.
Creak.
As Bu Eunseol, dressed as a scholar, opened the bookstore door, Shang Liang and Ma Yun rushed toward him, their eyebrows practically flying with excitement.
"Young Master, you’ve arrived!"
"You must be exhausted from the journey." Since that day, many things had changed.
First, Shang Liang and Ma Yun treated Bu Eunseol with the respect due to an imperial envoy. Having perfectly protected Dan So-ok from mysterious assassins, Bu Eunseol earned the trust of his superiors.
In the remaining six months, he accomplished missions deemed nearly impossible.
As a result, Shang Liang and Ma Yun, who managed the branch, were also recognized for their contributions, and finally, ten days later, they received orders to return to Majeon.
"Young Master, how about it? Shall we have a drink tonight?" Second, his relationship with Shang Liang and Ma Yun had changed.
Shang Liang and Ma Yun knew the best taverns with the finest liquors and occasionally brought drinks to Bu Eunseol. What began as a casual connection soon turned into a bond where they frequently shared drinks.
"Another drinking session?" Bu Eunseol asked.
Shang Liang rubbed his hands together and said, "Young Master, you’ll be leaving in ten days, won’t you? Time is precious, so we should make the most of it with a drink now and then."
Ma Yun, standing nearby, hurriedly chimed in, "I’ll go tell the chef at Hongrugak to prepare some dishes." But Bu Eunseol shook his head.
"Let’s drink another time."
"Why’s that?"
"As you said, with only ten days left, it’s time to start tidying up my hideout."
During his year in Yueyang, Bu Eunseol’s hideout had accumulated quite a bit of gear. Disguises for concealment, various weapons, and hidden tools all needed to be disposed of promptly.
"I’m an expert in that sort of thing, aren’t I?" Ma Yun said, grabbing Bu Eunseol’s sleeve. "I’ll take care of all that. Young Master, you should just relax for these ten days."
Ma Yun grinned and added, "While you were away, Brother got three jars of Fenjiu, brewed by a master from Chang’an."
"I…"
"I tried it once before, and it sticks to your mouth like honey. Young Master, you won’t regret tasting it."
"Hmm." Bu Eunseol let out a low groan.
During his time in Yueyang, he had become a man who enjoyed drinking. Especially when troubled thoughts arose, he’d go to Jianghalu and savor some yellow wine. When the strong liquor poured into his stomach, the flames of myriad thoughts in his mind would subside.
"Come on, let’s not waste time. Let’s go!" As Shang Liang reached out, Bu Eunseol reluctantly let go of the resistance in his sleeve.
On a night illuminated by bright moonlight. Three shadows sat atop the bookstore’s roof.
They were none other than Bu Eunseol and the Gong Twin Demons.
"Why leave a perfectly good spot to mope on a roof…?" Shang Liang grumbled in a low voice.
He had reserved a special room on the third floor of Hongrugak. But Bu Eunseol suddenly brought roasted chicken and suggested drinking on the roof.
"Brother," Ma Yun said, nudging his side. "The Young Master likes it, doesn’t he? The Young Master."
Bu Eunseol, looking at Shang Liang’s pouting lips, said calmly, "Try a drink here. If you don’t like it by the time we finish a jar, we’ll go to Hongrugak."
"Ugh." With no other choice, Shang Liang climbed onto the roof.
"Let’s drink." Ma Yun, as if someone might steal it, grabbed a well-roasted chicken leg and devoured it.
Smack, smack, smack.
Licking even the bones, he downed a full glass of Fenjiu in one gulp.
"Ahh!" As the strong liquor washed away the grease, his body shivered involuntarily.
Exhaling the fragrant aroma of the liquor toward the sky, he saw the faint moonlight pouring down from the distant heavens. On this quiet night, the whispering moonlight stirred a strange sentiment in those who beheld it.
"This… this atmosphere…" Ma Yun nodded as if he’d realized something. "It really enhances the taste of the liquor!"
"What’s that supposed to mean?" Shang Liang blinked.
Ma Yun handed him a chicken leg and a glass of liquor. "Brother, just try a sip. You’ll understand."
Reluctantly, Shang Liang took the chicken leg and downed the Fenjiu.
"Ahh!" In his forty-plus years, Shang Liang had enjoyed countless drinks.
But he had never realized that drinking on a roof could be so sweet and splendid.
"Oh, you’re right!" Gazing at the bright moon, Shang Liang slapped his knee as if he’d had a grand revelation. "Young Master, you always know how to enjoy a unique atmosphere. To think of drinking on a roof! Haha!"
Embarrassed, Shang Liang burst into hearty laughter, and Bu Eunseol responded calmly, "I just don’t like crowded places."
That short reply carried an indescribable depth of solitude. As Bu Eunseol gazed at the sky with empty eyes, Shang Liang and Ma Yun exchanged glances and sighed inwardly.
What kind of story lies behind this young man, barely past his twenties?
To them, Bu Eunseol was no ordinary person. He had willingly joined the Nine Deaths Squad, which others avoided. Not only that, he chose life-threatening missions that weren’t required, pursuing the path of martial arts.
Moreover, his heart seemed frozen, never lingering on anything.
"Young Master," Shang Liang said, looking into Bu Eunseol’s cold, still eyes with a sigh. "The world is inherently chaotic."
After downing a glass of Fenjiu, he continued, "In this dusty world, there’s no place untouched by wind and dirt."
As if recalling the past, Shang Liang looked at Bu Eunseol with deepened eyes.
"If you come to understand this one day, Young Master, the world might feel a bit more interesting." There was an unspoken story in Shang Liang’s voice.
"..." As Bu Eunseol looked at him with a strange gaze, Shang Liang scratched his head awkwardly.
"I’ve gone and ruined the mood. Come, let’s drink!" Smiling, Shang Liang offered a glass. "If you don’t get drunk tonight, Young Master, I, Gong Shang Liang, will raid Hongrugak’s wine cellar to make it happen!"
Ma Yun grinned widely. "That’s the spirit! Let’s drink till we burst! Haha!"
As dawn deepened.
Shang Liang and Ma Yun’s voices filled the night sky from atop the roof. Bu Eunseol quietly sipped his drink, listening to their chatter.
Unbeknownst to him, a faint smile lingered on his lips throughout the drinking.
***
"Ahh." Stumbling out of the bookstore, Bu Eunseol walked unsteadily.
His hideout was quite far from the village, and here, his cover was that of a fallen scholar. So, when returning after a drink, he deliberately exaggerated his drunkenness as he walked.
Those ridiculous fellows. Suddenly recalling the faces of the Gong Twin Demons, Bu Eunseol let out a low snort.
Shang Liang, the branch leader, was shrewd and flattering but relaxed and optimistic.
Ma Yun, the informant, was hot-tempered and arrogant but surprisingly simple and quirky.
For two martial artists, they had a certain innocence, and Bu Eunseol felt a subtle fondness for them.
"Ugh, I’m drunk." Entering his hideout, Bu Eunseol reached for the door.
Creak.
As the old door groaned, a faint ripple of energy spread in all directions.
An intruder. In an instant, Bu Eunseol’s eyes glinted in the darkness.
Ordinary spies or assassins might leave a hair or glass dust on a door to detect intruders.
But for Bu Eunseol, who had mastered the Beast Way, such devices were unnecessary. The vibrations in the air alone allowed him to sense an enemy’s presence, thanks to the abilities of the Beast Path.
"Hmm." Pretending to notice nothing, Bu Eunseol staggered to his bed and collapsed onto it.
Covering himself with a blanket, he closed his eyes as if to sleep.
How much time had passed? In the pitch-black darkness, a human-shaped shadow slowly began to form.
"..." Reflected in the moonlight, the shadow was a masked figure in black assassin garb.
Silently drawing a sword from his back, he pressed it lightly against the neck of Bu Eunseol, still under the blanket.
"This is disappointing," the masked man said, clicking his tongue. "To think the legendary member of Yueyang’s Nine Deaths Squad would be so careless…"
His voice trailed off.
Clank.
Hundreds of hidden weapon devices sprang from the smooth wall behind the masked man.
"You lured me to a spot where you’d set up hidden weapons while pretending to sleep?" the masked man asked, glancing at the devices with a satisfied nod. "If I’d thrust my sword without knowing, I’d already be a porcupine."
"Reveal your identity," Bu Eunseol said, throwing off the blanket, his eyes glinting with a cold light.
Sensing that any wrong move would provoke immediate action, the masked man quickly answered, "I’m from Majeon."
"Majeon?"
"Yes." Stepping back, the masked man sheathed his sword and sat at the table opposite the bed. "May I light a lamp?"
When Bu Eunseol nodded, the masked man touched the lamp on the table. With a hiss, the dim interior brightened, revealing the masked man’s sharp eyes.
He’s young. The eyes reflected in the lamplight clearly belonged to a young man.
His sharply curved eyes exuded a faintly sinister aura.
"What’s your purpose?"
"I really wanted to meet you. The legendary Nine Deaths Squad member of Yueyang, Number Eighteen."
"Speak nonsense again, and I’ll fire the hidden weapons."
"Is that so? I was hoping for a bit of conversation." The masked man pulled a yellow envelope from his robe.
"This is from Majeon, for you."
Whoosh!
With a sharp gust, the yellow envelope vanished from the masked man’s hand.
At the same time, something sharp flew toward Bu Eunseol’s forehead. The lightweight paper envelope had been thrown like a deadly hidden weapon.
Snap.
In an instant, the yellow envelope was caught between Bu Eunseol’s index and middle fingers.
"Impressive," the masked man said, his eyes narrowing in admiration. "To catch a throw with the Shadow Hand so effortlessly."
Without responding, Bu Eunseol opened the envelope.
On the yellow paper was the word “Gapho” and the red spider emblem symbolizing the Nine Deaths Squad.
"Gapho?" Bu Eunseol muttered.
The masked man’s eyes curved like crescents. "Yes. The Gapho mission, given only to the elite of the Nine Deaths Squad."
The Gapho mission.
A task assigned to select Nine Deaths Squad members scattered in secret across various regions. As it comes directly from Majeon, it’s essentially an order.
"So far, only twelve Gapho missions have been issued by Majeon. And those who received them were legendary masters in the history of the Nine Deaths Squad." The masked man’s eyes curved again.
"But never has someone so young received a Gapho mission. I can’t help but feel envious!" He chuckled, as if finding something amusing.
Feeling an ominous premonition, Bu Eunseol opened the envelope. As he read the letter, that premonition became reality.
To Gapho, Number Eighteen of the Yueyang Branch.
Eliminate the Gong Twin Demons, spies of the Martial Alliance.
Deadline: Four days from now, by the time the Yueyang Branch transfer is complete.
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